I originally thought that the dormitory would be a long room with a large bunk bed, but it turned out to be a low thatched house with a door, a window, a table and a bed. It was not a special treatment. Although the political commissar agreed to let Hu Yi stay, he had not yet decided how to arrange him. Should he be arranged to the first company? The second company or the third company? None of them were suitable, so Ma Liang led him to this room used for temporary reception. It was vacant just after Su Qing left.
Facing the afternoon sun, Hu Yi walked around the village and got familiar with the environment. Looking at the busy villagers and soldiers on the training ground, Hu Yi felt very peaceful and comfortable. It had been a long time since he stopped like this. Because it was early spring, the surrounding barren mountains were a yellow earth color. Hu Yi still walked to the top of the east mountain with great interest to take in the desolate view.
What is coming will eventually come. Hu Yi on the top of the mountain knew that there was a pair of pigtails in the weeds not far behind him. So he turned around, facing the west wind and shouted to the weeds: "Are you done yet?"
Xiao Hongying showed a disdainful expression, stood up from the weeds, holding the slingshot in her hand without saying a word, and looked at Hu Yi from a distance of more than ten meters.
Hu Yi frowned slightly: "Do I have a grudge against you?"
"You are not a good person!" Xiao Hongying replied with a pout.
"What makes you say that?"
"Aunt Su Qing said you are not a good person, you are a scum!"
Xiao Hongying's words made Hu Yi's eyes go dark and he almost fainted. Su Qing, Su Qing, oh, I did something wrong, will I never be able to live in peace again for the rest of my life
Seeing Hu Yi suddenly fall silent, Hongying couldn't help but raise her head proudly: "Hey, there's nothing to say!"
Hu Yi sighed helplessly: "Can you please give me a way out?"
"Coward, you're dreaming!"
Are all women in the world so arrogant? Or are they only women in the Eighth Route Army? Hu Yi was puzzled.
"Okay, what do you want me to do to satisfy you?"
“Kneel down and beg for mercy!”
"You stupid girl! You're dreaming!"
"Then there's nothing to say, take it!"
I don't know why, but Hu Yi particularly likes this little girl, maybe because she has a personality that doesn't match her gender, maybe because she has a stubborn heart that doesn't match her age, maybe because of what Ma Liang said, maybe just because of the pair of ridiculous pigtails on her head, I can't tell. Unexpectedly, every time she came to provoke me, I would involuntarily accompany her in her craziness, forgetting that I am a 24-year-old man, forgetting that I have been a soldier for eight years, forgetting the numb life in the smoke and fire.
Xiao Hongying concentrated and calmed down, exerted her strength suddenly, and pulled the rubber band of the slingshot. Whoosh-snap-Hu Yi shook, and a small stone flew past his forehead, leaving a bloody mark. Damn girl, you are really unambiguous. Hu Yi frowned, jumped up suddenly, and rushed towards Xiao Hongying. At the same time, he said: "The first shot is the most important, but you fired so easily, then you are finished."
Xiao Hongying looked at Hu Yi rushing over, calmly and quickly loaded another stone, swiftly raised the slingshot, and retorted: "I can still shoot you again!"
Whoosh-slap-Hu Yi kept sprinting, not dodging at all. The second stone shot hastily hit Hu Yi's shoulder and bounced off, causing a stinging pain and leaving a little mud mark. Hu Yi remained unmoved and kept his speed, mocking viciously: "The final victory is determined by momentum, not skill."
Seeing Hu Yi about to rush in front of her, Xiao Hongying frowned and reached into the bag behind her. "I don't believe it!" After saying that, she threw a paper bag at Hu Yi and then tried to retreat.
Just as Hongying reached for the bag, Hu Yi noticed it keenly and kept a vigilant attitude. There had been grenades in that small bag, who knows what else was in it. When a cloud of white mist came towards him, Hu Yi did not dare to despise it and fell to the ground decisively. It was lime powder! This shameless little bastard...
Hu Yi lay on the ground, not daring to open his eyes, but heard the little girl's scream in front of him. This desperate scream sounded like a charge to Hu Yi's ears. He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes again, passed through the lime mist, rushed to the cliff, and grabbed the little girl's hand that was about to be released from the edge of the cliff...
Liu Jianqiang sat at the foot of the mountain near the village in a daze. He had been looking for three days, and had walked around the village dozens of times. All of them were old, weak, women and children. How could anyone be a soldier? Those who could be soldiers had already been assigned to the first, second and third companies. This was really worrying, and now he could only sit here and sigh. He leaned against a rock, closed his eyes and basked in the sun, and couldn't help wanting to cry again.
Suddenly, someone kicked him. He opened his eyes and saw Xiao Hongying, who had come to him carrying a large basket. He said unhappily, "Didn't the political commissar put you in solitary confinement? Why are you here?"
"They didn't even bother to install a window in the solitary confinement room. I'm still a child, can't I come out and get some fresh air?" Xiao Hongying said, throwing the big basket aside and saying, "Runny Nose, the advice I gave you last time was good, wasn't it? Did you save your Ninth Company? Shouldn't you give me something to thank me for?"
"Didn't I already give you a grenade?"
"Well, that grenade was confiscated by the political commissar, so it doesn't count."
"What?" Liu Jianqiang was already angry, and when he heard what Xiao Hongying said, he sat up suddenly: "I only have that one grenade left, and I've already given it to you. What does it have to do with me if it's confiscated? Besides, I followed your advice, cried and made a fuss, and the political commissar didn't say that the 9th company must be left behind and asked me to find someone. Now I can't even find a ghost, and this matter will still fall through in the end. I'm warning you, don't bother me anymore."
Xiao Hongying curled her lips and said, "Ouch! You ungrateful snot, you dare to warn me! Believe it or not, I will go to the political commissar and turn myself in now, saying that I was the one who taught you to commit suicide?"
"You—" Liu Jianqiang was speechless. He leaned against the stone again and ignored her.
Seeing Liu Jianqiang being so angry that he looked stupid, Xiao Hongying couldn't help but laugh while shaking her pigtails. After a pause, she turned her big, cunning eyes and said again, "Hey, runny nose, I can find one for you."
This sentence hooked Liu Jianqiang up again, and he almost sat up like a carp: "What did you say? Really? You can't lie to me."
Xiao Hongying smiled and held up a finger: "A row of bullets."
"This? No way. I only have one row of bullets left. If I give them all to you, how can I fire my gun? No way."
"Four shots! No less."
"What? Is there any difference between me having one bullet left and having no bullets? No!"
Xiao Hongying nodded indifferently, picked up the big basket again, and made a gesture to leave.
Liu Jianqiang asked himself in distress, for the sake of the Ninth Company, can I not bear to give up four bullets? But bullets are precious, I only have five. When I gave that damn girl the grenade last time, my heart was bleeding. Now she is trying to extort money from me again. I don't want to bleed, but I can't escape the Ninth Company. I finally cried...